Someone to Watch Over Me
by raeynstorm
Summary: ON HOLD for now! I need to figure out where I'm going with this! Seventeen year old Sofia decides to study sorcery with her friend and mentor, Cedric the Sensational. She discovers there is a lot more to learning magic than she originally thought. Good thing she has her mentor to watch over her. Fluffy romantic fan fic.
1. Chapter 1

~A Sofia the First Fanfiction~

Disclaimer: I did not create, nor do I own Sofia or any characters in her world. It all belongs to Disney. I'm just a mom who has had to watch endless hours of Sofia The First with my daughter and easily picked up on the Sofia/Cedric pairing. Honestly, I'm surprised more people don't understand it, hmm? They are quite the perfect pair.

 **Chapter 1: The Sorcerer's Apprentice**

Clutching a tea tray and deep in thought, Sofia began the familiar climb up the spiral staircase to the royal sorcerer's tower. Almost seventeen, Sofia was blossoming into a beautiful young woman. She had traded in her favorite lilac gown for a modest, square neck, deep plum gown that hugged her at the waist and accentuated her newly discovered curves. She still wore the Amulet of Avalor, which had remained red since she freed Princess Elena from it years ago. Her auburn curls hung to the middle of her back, and rather than a tiara, most days she wore a circlet of flowers in her hair, gathered on her frequent walks in the palace gardens.

Sofia was flourishing in her studies at Royal Prep, Captain of the Flying Derby team and top of the class in sorcery. Truth be told, though she was a model student, she was rather bored with most of the other subjects, not having ever particularly been interested in becoming a Queen. This was the reason for her visit to Cedric today. She had been trying to gain snippets of magical knowledge and spells from him over the years, but it wasn't enough. Though she knew she was expected to be like her sister, Amber, who as of late was very excited to make a favorable match with a handsome prince and get married and have lots of royal children,, she realized she was quite different. Perhaps it was her peasant upbringing early in life, but she always felt a bit out of place as a Royal.

The only person she really thought would understand her desire to become a sorceress was her dear Aunt Tilly. King Roland's quirky older sister, The Duchess Matilda, had renounced her claim to the throne as the oldest heir and chosen instead to run off and explore the world. This was perceived by the kingdom as extremely uncommon, but all Tilly cared about was having as many adventures as possible. She didn't even settle down until after Sofia became a princess, when she met her true love, a fellow brave adventurer, Sir Bartelby, also called "The Silent Knight". He was the bravest Knight in the kingdom with a one of a kind voice and a heart of gold. Though, they hadn't really "settled down", rather they went on many more grand adventures together. They recently had a beautiful wedding at the palace and it was during the reception that Sofia confessed to her Aunt that rather than begin courting to find a suitor, all she wanted was to study magic and become a Sorceress. She also wanted to continue with her Storykeeper duties and complete as many stories in the secret library as possible. TIlly was thrilled and fully encouraged her to go to the King and request permission to do so. Though Sofia was extremely nervous, she decided to give it a shot. After having a honest discussion with her father, he had given his permission for her to request Cedric to let her become a real apprentice and study magic with him for several years. He assured her there was no rush to settle down and that he and her mother supported her in this decision. King Roland had become rather fond of Cedric over the years, for as he gained more experience he became a more confident and successful royal sorcerer. Sofia's constant praise and encouragement seemed to have helped Cedric quite a bit in that area as well. King Roland thought that Sofia would be in good hands and was intrigued at the idea of having his daughter learn magic and potentially have two sorcerers at his disposal. It would only benefit the kingdom, as far as he was concerned.

Sofia reached the familiar door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

"Come in… you will anyway," Cedric grumbled, deeply immersed in a potion he was trying to finish.

"Hello Mr. Cedric!" Sofia greeted in her sing song voice. "I brought you tea!"

"Princess Sofia, I am very busy at the moment. I need to finish this potion for Wormwood, he is feeling ill and I am tired of his incessant squawking." Cedric replied grumpily.

Sofia's face fell. She looked over to Wormwood's perch, where the poor bird sat, feathers falling off him, looking rather worse for the wear. She set down the tea tray on Cedric's desk and ran over to the perch.

"Poor Wormwood, I'm sorry you aren't well!" She said, stroking his back.

Wormwood squawked and ruffled his wings, shaking her hand off.

"Don't touch me, you pestering princess" He drawled, "I don't need you to comfort me."

Cedric came over to Wormwood's perch with a dropperful of the completed potion. He dropped a few drops into Wormwood's mouth and the bird relaxed and immediately fell asleep, tucking his head under his wing.

"Will he be alright?" Sofia asked, her brow furrowed, both annoyed with and concerned for the raven.

"He'll be fine. He just needs three drops of this restorative potion twice a day for the next few days." Cedric replied, watching Wormwood and absently rubbing his neck, worry evident in his eyes.

He finally turned his attention to the Princess. "Now, what did you need, Sofia?"

Sofia gestured to his desk. "I brought up a tea tray, I thought you might need a break and that perhaps we could have afternoon tea together."

Cedric crossed his arms and looked at her suspiciously. "All right, what do you want?"

"Nothing! I just thought we could have tea!" Sofia exclaimed, nervously clasping her hands in front of her and blushing, for a moment looking like the innocent 8 year old she was when Cedric first met her. Cedric smiled, remembering what a nuisance she was to him in those days.

"Very well, let's have tea then. Shall we go down to the gardens?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I would love that!" She said, picking up the tray and leading him outside.

They sat at a table surrounded by beautiful lilac bushes, near a stream. This was one of Sofia's favorite places to come and read. Sofia served the tea and they both enjoyed the silence for a moment, sipping the peppermint tea that Sofia knew he liked best.

"Cedric, my seventeenth birthday is in a week, and I wanted to ask a favor of you." she said, looking at him nervously.

"Ah, I should have known. The usual magic show and fireworks I assume?" He asked, rolling his eyes, his suspicion that she wanted something from him confirmed.

"No! Well, enchanted fireworks would be nice, but I'd really like you to teach me how to conjure them myself. I'd like you to teach me everything you know, in fact. I'm in my final year at Royal Prep, and I'm third in line for the throne. I don't really want to become a Queen, and over the years learning little tidbits of magic from you has made me realize that I would like to seriously study Sorcery. Would you accept me as a real apprentice and teach me?" she rushed, blurting out everything she had been thinking about for the last weeks.

Cedric stared at her, mouth agape. He knew she was rather talented at magic, and she always was trying to get him to show her new things. She constantly pestered him in his workshop. (Though if he was truthful he enjoyed their friendship and didn't mind her company.) He cleared his throat.

"Princess Sofia, even if I agreed to teach you, I highly doubt your father would approve. I'm sure he has much bigger plans for you, and even if he did agree to let you study sorcery, I'm sure he'd want to find a much better teacher than I". He looked to the ground, his insecurity briefly making him vulnerable. "Besides," he continued, "I'm sure in another year or two King Roland will start bringing princes around so that you may make a favorable match and secure an alliance for Enchancia." Cedric would have had to been blind not to notice as of late, especially with her new attire, that she was growing into a lovely young woman, no longer a sweet little girl. What he didn't realize, until he put the statement into words, was how much he disliked the idea of her being married off to some spoiled prince. He knew it was inevitable, and he realized he would miss having her in his workshop.

"I won't be married to someone I don't want! Especially for the sake of forming an alliance! And I am way too young for that!" Sofia exclaimed, fire in her eyes.

"I already discussed this with my father, and he gave his blessing for me to study with you as long as you agree. Please, Cedric. I can't think of anyone better to teach me magic." Her face softened, she looked at him imploringly.

Cedric looked into those piercing blue eyes, and felt his will crumble away.

"Very well, Sophia. I will allow you to study with me as my apprentice. If your father gave permission it's not like I could refuse anyway. We will meet after school for now, and then I will expect you in my workshop every day in the summer. Once you graduate from Royal Prep we will really be able to get to work. Sorcery is not something that can be learned quickly. Most sorcerers start studying at the age of 5 and aren't officially deemed a full fledged Sorcerer until age 20. You have a lot of catching up to do!"

"I understand Cedric. I will work hard and do my best to make you proud," Sofia responded fervently, rising from her chair.

"You have always made me proud, Sofia" Cedric replied, rising as well, and looking at her fondly.

"That is so sweet, thank you, Cedric!" Sofia exclaimed, lunging forward and wrapping her arms around the sorcerers waist, hugging him tightly. Cedric stood there, uncomfortable in the embrace. She pulled back and kissed his cheek lightly. "I'm going to go tell my mom the good news!" She ran off, waving at him cheerfully, a faint blush creeping over her cheeks.. He stared after her, shocked, lightly rubbing his cheek where she had kissed him. He absently vanished the tea tray away, shaking his head. "Merlin's Mushrooms, what have I gotten myself into," he thought to himself, heading back to his tower lost in thought.


	2. Chapter 2: Sparks

**Chapter 2: Sparks**

After school the following day Sofia headed for Cedric's tower, humming to herself. She was so excited to begin her apprenticeship. But it wasn't just the magic that had her excited, if she was being honest with herself. Over the years her feelings for Cedric had slowly changed from platonic friendship, to developing a young schoolgirl crush, to slightly confused but certain adoration. Cedric had always fascinated her. His dry sense of humor, his determination to succeed, the fact that no matter what, he always did the right thing in the end. His amber eyes, his two toned hair, his wiry frame. She loved everything about him. And she knew even though he sometimes pretended he was too busy to give her his time, it was mostly for show. She knew he cared about her and valued her friendship. She had never thought of him romantically until one night when Amber was talking about courting princes and eventually marrying. Amber asked if she had anyone in mind, and was surprised when Cedric came to mind. She changed the subject with Amber and kept her feelings to herself. Since then she couldn't seem to stop thinking about him that way. These new feelings were very confusing. That kiss in the garden yesterday! It had been totally impulsive, and she worried that she had overstepped her bounds. It had only been on the cheek, for just a moment, but still… she sighed sadly. She knew, being quite a bit his junior, and a princess, and nowhere near as powerful, that she didn't really stand a chance. She also didn't think her parents would react favorably to a match with Cedric.

"You are his apprentice now! You need to focus on learning magic, nothing else!" She told herself firmly.

She took a deep breath to clear her head and knocked on his door.

"Come in," she heard Cedric mutter distractedly. He always seemed to be in the middle of something when she arrived. She opened the door and found him poring over a thick tomb.

"Good afternoon, Cedric!"

Cedric looked up from his book. Princess Sofia looked beautiful as ever, today in a deep blue off the shoulder gown. The dress brought out the color of her piercing blue eyes, which were currently looking at him expectantly.

"Since when do you think of her as beautiful, pull yourself together, Cedric," he thought to himself, shaking his head slightly.

"Good afternoon, Princess Sofia. Seeing as your birthday is in less than a week, I thought we could begin your apprenticeship by learning to conjure magical fireworks, as you mentioned yesterday. It is a slightly difficult spell, though I think you can handle it with practice. If you are successful, perhaps we can put on a fireworks display together at your party."

Sofia was thrilled. "Cedric, that sounds perfect, can we start right away?" she asked excitedly.

"I have something for you first," Cedric replied, turning and walking over to his desk. He opened a drawer and pulled out a beautiful wand, engraved with vines and leaves. "This was one of my first wands, given to me by my favorite teacher, Grimwood. It is a powerful wand and I thought it was time to pass it on to you." He held out the wand, waiting for her to take it.

"Cedric, thank you so much!" Sofia exclaimed, taking the wand from him and getting a feel for it in her hand. "I love it, it feels just right for me."

"You are most welcome." Cedric replied. "I think it will serve you well."

Cedric opened the wand case on his desk, a gift from Sofia on Wassailia many years ago. He took out his family wand and turned back to Sofia.

"What do I do first?" Sofia asked, ready to begin.

"Erhm, Princess, since I don't fancy having my workshop blown up by fireworks, we will need to relocate in order to practice this spell." he replied dryly, looking at Sofia amusedly.

"Oh! Of course! Let's go outside, then." She turned and led the way downstairs, a faint flush creeping over her cheeks.

Cedric discovered he quite enjoyed making her blush. Then, horrified, she shook his head. "Good God, Cedric, focus on teaching her magic." he thought.

Once outside, in a courtyard without a lot of trees, Cedric began the lesson.

"Allright, Sofia. First I will teach you the wand movement. You need a confident flick of the wrist, and a counterclockwise swirl," he demonstrated. Sofia mimed his movements.

"Very good. Now, as you are waving the wand and reciting the magic words, you need to envision in your mind what kinds of fireworks you'd like to release. It is easiest to start with simple colors and patterns. Once you have those down, you can do rockets, pinwheels, multicolored explosions, and so on. You can even write messages in the sky eventually."

Sofia's eyes widened. "That is extraordinary!" she exclaimed.

Cedric loved the wonder and appreciation she always had for magic.

"Now, the magic words are 'Firecrackerus Explodicus!' Practice saying the words first."

Sofia cleared her throat. "Firecrackerus Explodicus!" she recited.

"Right. Be sure to say the words with confidence, I will demonstrate for you." He waved his wand, recited the words, and a beautiful blue firework erupted into the sky. Sofia watched in awe.

"Now it's your turn, give it a go!" Cedric said, looking at Sofia expectantly.

Sofia took a deep breath, waved her wand, and recited, "Firecrackerus Explodicus!" a small fizzle of light escaped her wand, then vanished. Her face fell.

"Don't get discouraged, remember the sorcerer's secret!" Cedric exclaimed, "Try again, and this time be more confident in your recitation. Be sure to envision in your mind's eye what you want to see!"

Sofia took a deep breath and tried again. This time she sent up a beautiful red fountain. She grinned, and shouted, "I did it, I really did it!"

The sorcerer and his apprentice practiced for the remainder of the afternoon, until Sofia seemed to get the basics down. Dinnertime was approaching, and Sofia and Cedric finished their lesson and headed back up to his workshop.

"You did good work today, Sofia. Why don't we meet for tomorrow's lesson at 9:00 rather than directly after school, it may be easier to see the fireworks, especially if you want to work on projecting messages into the sky," Cedric suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," Sofia replied. "I want to be really good at this for my party. You are such a great teacher, Cedric."

Cedric smiled slightly at the compliment.

"Merlin's Mushrooms, I can't believe you are turning seventeen," Cedric groused, leading the way back up to his tower. "It makes me feel old."

"Oh Cedric, you can't be that old. How old were you when I first came to the Castle?" She asked, as they headed up the spiral staircase.

"I took my father's place as Royal Sorcerer not long before you came to the castle. I was 21, just out of sorcery school and very unsure of myself." Cedric replied, opening the door to his workshop.

He took Sofia's wand and put it in the drawer. He placed his own wand back into its case.

"So that makes you, what? 30? Wow, you _are_ getting old, Cedric!" She exclaimed sarcastically.

"Oh hush, you!" he responded wryly. "I may be old, but with age comes wisdom, and I certainly have acquired that over the years."

She looked at him proudly. "And so you have. One of the many reasons I wanted you as my sorcerer." She blushed slightly, realizing how possessive she sounded.

Cedric stuttered, "I… I am flattered, princess. And I am honored to have you as my apprentice. But I think I am keeping you from your family supper. Best be on your way, I think."

"Yes, well, goodnight Cedric. Thank you for a wonderful lesson." Sofia said, smiling warmly as she exited his workshop.

"Goodnight, Sofia." Cedric followed her out and shut the door gently. He let out a deep breath that he had been unaware he was holding. The kiss yesterday, the sarcastic flirting today. She had called him "her" sorcerer. Good lord, had she developed some sort of crush on him? What on earth did she see in him? Surely it was just a phase, she was certainly more interested in the magic than him? "Perhaps I'm imagining all this" he told himself. "Sofia and I are just close friends, that's all. She doesn't see me that way." And yet, he couldn't suppress that feeling he had when she looked at him with those dazzling blue eyes, as though he was the most important person in the world. He was a lonely man and valued her friendship and company more than he originally let himself believe.

"It doesn't help that she is turning into a stunningly beautiful woman before my eyes," he thought to himself. "No! Not that again!" he whacked himself in the forehead. "I am her teacher, she is my friend and student. Nothing more!" He almost convinced himself, then sat down and continued to read his potions book, willing himself to think of anything but Sofia.


	3. Chapter 3: Memory Lane

Hello Readers! Wanted to respond to some of the review's I've gotten so far. Thanks for the reviews, by the way! They make me happy! :) I realize that most people view the age gap between Sofia and Cedric as more substantial than I do. I have always viewed Cedric as a fresh out of school sorcerer in the show. He strikes me as a young 20 something, with no confidence in his abilities, as many people that age experience. (I did) So in my story, they are 13 years apart. Another reviewer pointed out that the Amulet of Avalor is pink after Sofia frees Elena, and after some research, I realize they were right. I think the last episode I've seen was the Elena/Sofia crossover, and I remembered that when Elena wore the amulet it was red. After my research I've concluded that it was originally red, then when Elena was trapped inside, it turned purple. Then, when Sofia freed her she left some of her properties inside the amulet, so it became a cross between red and purple=pink! So sorry for my oversight! I will in the future refer to the amulet as pink.

This chapter gives you a look at what Amber and James are currently up to, and gives you a look at how Cedric and Sofia's relationship has developed over the years. Hope you all enjoy! More progression in the next chapter.

 **Chapter Three: Memory Lane**

Sofia quickly made her way down the stone stairwell and headed to the dining room. She opened the door, rushed in, and exclaimed breathlessly, "So sorry I'm late! I had my first official lesson as Cedric's apprentice today!" She sat down in her usual chair, smiling around at her family.

"Good evening, Sofia," King Roland greeted her warmly. "How was your first lesson?"

"It was wonderful! Cedric gave me a new wand, and I learned how to conjure fireworks!" she exclaimed happily, picking up her fork and digging into dinner.

"That is wonderful, honey," Queen Miranda said, always happy to support Sofia in whatever she endeavored.

"I saw fireworks when I was playing fetch with Rex, that was you, Soph?" James asked. Sofia nodded.

"Wicked! I can't wait for you to tell me all about the magic you learn from Mr. Cedric!" he said, shoveling food into his mouth.

"Really, James," Amber huffed. "Sofia should be focused on finding a husband, not playing at magic." James rolled his eyes and swallowed his food..

Sofia narrowed her eyes. Amber had been difficult to deal with lately. As the girls had matured they had grown apart a bit. As soon as Amber graduated from Royal Prep the previous year, she had gone on outings with various princes from the preparatory school. Hugo, Desmond, Khalid, and most recently, James's best friend Xandar. Prince Xandar seemed to be the most appealing to her so far, and they had been seeing each other several times a week. James wasn't overly thrilled, because he felt like Amber was monopolizing his best friend. But he did think it would be cool to have Xandar as a brother. James was busy himself, as he was currently courting Princess Clio of Corinthia, and things seemed to be going very well for the two of them. Sofia sighed. They had very different interests and Amber did not often see eye to eye on Sofia's aspirations.

"Amber, you and James are a year older than I am. It's great that you are ready for that, but I am not. There are things I want to see and do before I settle down, so that will be my priority for the time being."

Queen Miranda spoke up. "Sofia, we are proud of you for wanting to continue your education, and I think that all three of you need to support each other in whatever you choose to do in life."

"I agree with your mother," King Roland said, putting down his fork and stretching his arms over his head. "Baileywick, is dessert ready?" He asked.

"RIght away, your majesty," the steward replied, bustling out of the dining room to retrieve the pudding.

James spoke up. "Amber, Sofia will be an awesome sorceress, and someday I'm hoping she will be my royal adviser, just like when we were kids." He smiled at Sofia. She grinned back at him.. He then cleared his throat nervously.

"I actually have an announcement to make." he looked at his mom and dad. "As you know, I have been courting Princess Clio since our final year at school. I love her, more than I've ever loved anything. I'm going to Corinthia tomorrow to ask her parents for her hand in marriage."

King Roland jumped to his feet. "That's wonderful, James!" He strode over to his son, pulling him to his feet and hugging him. Amber squealed excitedly.

"Can I help you guys plan the wedding? I'm sooooo happy for you!" She asked, getting up to hug James as well.

Sofia and Queen Miranda were next to hug and congratulate James. Baileywick re-entered the dining room, pushing a cart with the King's favorite, Jiggly-Wiggly pudding.

"Baileywick! James is going to propose to Princess Clio tomorrow in Corinthia. Please make arrangements for a flying coach to take him there first thing in the morning."

Baileywick smiled widely. "Of Course your Majesty. Oh goodness, congratulations, James, this is most exciting news. Would you like to go to the jewel room tonight to pick out an engagement ring?" he asked, looking at James fondly.

"Yes please. Mom, would you come with and help me?" he asked the Queen.

Queen Miranda's eyes teared up. "Of course, James, I would love to help you." she replied.

The family took their seats and talked and made plans for James's upcoming engagement, while enjoying dessert, before going separate ways for the evening.

* * *

Sofia opened the door to her room and entered. Not a minute had passed and there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in," Sofia intoned.

Violet, her servant, walked in. "Good evening Princess, are you ready to get out of your gown and prepare for bed?"

"Good Evening Violet. Yes please!" Sofia replied. The maid made quick work of the dress, corset, and undergarments and helped Sofia into a night dress. "Sleep well, Princess," She bowed and left quickly and quietly.

Sofia glanced to her window seat. There sat Clover, fast asleep. She sat beside him and stroked his fur. As her mind wandered, it did what it often did. She began thinking about Cedric. She thought back to when she first met him, and how interested he was in her amulet. She smiled and remembered their trip to Mystic Meadows, when she first met his parents and helped convince his dad to hand down the family wand. That was when Cedric had earned the nickname Sofia came up with: Cedric the Sensational. That was one of the first times she'd seen him conjure magical fireworks. She had since accompanied him on many trips to Mystic Meadows, and was always welcomed by Winnifred and Goodwin. She loved hearing Goodwin tell stories about his time as the Royal Sorcerer, and she also loved helping Winnifred in the kitchen, usually making Fly cakes.

She looked up at the moon and thought back to the Wassailia when she had given Cedric the wand case that he still used to this day. At the time she wasn't sure if it was a good enough gift, but it had turned out that he often misplaced his wand and was touched she had made him such a nice case to keep it in. He in turn had conjured magical snow that swirled around the Wassailia tree and vanished before it hit the ground. Sofia never felt happier than she did when she stood with Cedric and her family that night.

Then there were more recent memories, like four years ago when he discovered she had the power to talk to animals. She had been arguing with Wormwood when she thought he wasn't paying attention, and was shocked when he questioned her about it. She admitted that the power to talk to animals was the first power the amulet had granted her, and he was fascinated by it. He suddenly understood why she spent so much time with her animal friends.

A year ago, she was helping him with a potion and her amulet suddenly glowed blue, calling her to the Secret Library. He had refused to let her go until she explained why it happened, that she was the story keeper and had to go right away to complete a story. She giggled. He had insisted on coming with her, letting his potion go to waste. He accompanied her to her room, watched in amazement as she "wished to be small" then shrunk himself with a spell and journeyed with her to the Secret Library. He accompanied her on her quest to complete the story, and was in awe of the whole situation. Besides her Aunt TIlly, he was still the only person that knew about her Storykeeper job. He knew more about her than anyone else, Sofia realized.

THe most recent memory that warmed her heart,, happened this past winter. Sofia asked him to conjure a skating pond outside the castle, so she could practice her enchanted ice dancing. She had invited Prince Hugo, her ice dancing partner, to come over and practice their routine for this years recital. It was a good rehearsal, she and Hugo joked and laughed like they always did, as they had become good friends over the years. Sofia never had to worry about Hugo trying to court her, because he thought of her as "one of the guys". She had noticed Cedric watching them out of his tower window. After Hugo left, she had trekked upstairs to see Cedric and found him in a rather bad mood. He conjured up some hot chocolate and sat with her while she drank it.

"So, Cedric, I saw you watching us practice. What did you think of our routine?" she asked.

Cedric glowered, "It was… it was good. You two make a lovely couple."

Sofia snorted hot chocolate out her nose. Ouch. "Cedric, Hugo and I are just friends… he and I have done flying derby and enchanted ice dancing together for so long… I'm 'one of the guys' to him."

"So… you have absolutely no interest in one another?" Cedric asked, incredulous.

"No… I have absolutely no interest in him, besides the fact that he is my friend, and the most talented ice dancer besides myself. Therefore, he is the most desirable partner." Sofia replied, cleaning hot chocolate off herself.

"Well… you could have fooled me," Cedric replied, opening a book and promptly immersing himself in the contents, ending the conversation.

Sofia smiled. If she didn't know better, she would have thought Cedric was jealous of Hugo. She knew Cedric cared about her, as a mentor. She assumed that he just wanted to make sure she found someone who would treat her well, and take care of her. She couldn't help but wish that someone could be him. She got up and crawled into bed, still thinking of Cedric as she fell asleep.

* * *

Cedric lay in bed, sleep eluding him as usual. He had been plagued by insomnia since he was a child. His thoughts couldn't help but drift to Sofia, remembering the day he had decided to forego his attempts to steal her amulet. Four years ago he had overheard her talking to Wormwood. And not the normal way people had of talking to animals. She actually seemed to be having a conversation with him. When he questioned her, she confided that the Amulet of Avalor had given her the power to talk to animals. He suddenly understood why she seemed to have such a connection to her animal friends. How could he think of taking that connection away from her? He hadn't really made any serious attempts on taking over the kingdom at that point for a long time. He realized he was happy to be standing by the King's side, rather than plotting to overthrow him. King Roland intimidated him less the more confidence he obtained, and he was also giving Cedric more credit for his accomplishments. Cedric couldn't help but think that it was mostly Sofia's doing, but he was forever grateful for her support.

She always did wonders for his confidence. One day he was trying to devise a spell to change his bangs back to their normal, dark color. Sofia flounced into his workshop just as he had failed the attempt, his hair standing on end.

"Mr. Cedric, what happened?" she asked, running up to him, concern in her eyes.

"I was trying to change my hair back to being all black, if you must know." he replied, wiping his face and trying to make his hair relax.

"Why? What happened to it? I mean, I always wondered why it was like that, but…" she looked at him questioningly.

"It was a prank. Greylock thought it would be funny in our very early Hexley hall days, and I've never been able to work out a way to put it right." he responded glumly.

:"Well, I can't imagine your hair any other way. I think you are very handsome just the way you are!" she responded warmly, a hint of a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Erhm, thank you, Princess." he responded, suddenly not feeling so sorry for himself. He hadn't attempted to change it since.

Then, last year, he'd followed her to her secret library and learned all about her Story Keeper duties. He couldn't believe she had been doing this by herself for so many years! Sofia was so mature, she ran deep, and was much smarter, kinder, and more responsible than the average young girl. She was always helping people, putting others first. Cedric couldn't help but admire her for that. She was meant to have the Amulet of Avalor, she used it well.

And then, this winter, his feelings for her became suddenly, confusing. He watched her practice enchanted ice dancing with that smug, handsome, Prince Hugo. He couldn't believe the jealousy that bubbled to the surface watching her laugh and dance with him. He knew the day would come where he would have to say goodbye to her, as she married another man, but he never realized how angry he would be. Did he really care for her so deeply? And then she came to see him, and he couldn't help but ask. And she assured him that they were only friends, and never had seen each other as anything else. He was elated, relief washing over him. He never let on, but he was happy to hear she had no interest in Hugo. She had become such an important part of his life, worming her way into every aspect. Now he was unsure of how he would handle things. She would be his apprentice, and then what? She would leave and spend her life with another man, only see him on occasion. Her light would be gone from his tower. Cedric fell into a fitful slumber, wondering how he was going to make it through this.


End file.
